Senator Don Gaetz gave us a little scare last week during the Broxson Parkway dedication. Thankfully, according to his son Matt, he is out of the hospital and in Tallahassee this week. I believe I will be in Tallahassee in a few weeks and I’m going to stop in and say hello.
It was really fun to watch Santa Rosa County Commissioners meet in a workshop setting. There was no sniping, no squabbling, no grandstanding, no name calling. It was refreshing to see this board get down to the real work of the citizens of the county. Getting rid of the troublemakers in the last election really elevated this commission and made it a pleasure to watch. Now we can see the real side of the commissioners that care about the county as they roll up their sleeves to get the work done.
In thirty-five years of ministry, I have had several speaking engagements, some at conferences, and many at churches. That is not remarkable for a preacher. What is remarkable is that many of those engagements were in Spanish-speaking countries, and I do not speak Spanish; to be understood, I had to speak through an interpreter.
I am not a fan of snow. I have occasionally purposefully travelled to areas where I know there is a good possibility I will encounter snow, and I am OK with that because I know it is very temporary. I’m also prepared mentally, and I bring proper attire and equipment.
Two words that do not go together – Florida and snow. They don’t go together for a reason, actually for many reasons. We experienced every single one of them last week when Winter Storm Enzo blasted Northwest Florida with extreme cold temperatures and nearly a foot of snow…in 24 hours.
My wife and I pray together most mornings before one of us leaves the house for our workday. Our prayer is always the same, “Lord, we are yours and this day is yours. We ask you to fill us with your Spirit and use us for your glory.” One day last week, having prayed with my wife and seen her out the door, a question popped into my mind: God, are you tired of hearing the same prayer from us day after day?
We are working on finishing up all three of our newspapers on Monday while wondering if the driver is going to be able to bring them to us from Jackson, Mississippi, on Tuesday evening like he normally does. We attempted to print earlier to get ahead of the storm, but the company that owns the press prioritizes their own papers first – of course – and no can do. They were really nice about it – but the facts are the facts. And we would do the same if we owned the printing press. There is a good chance you are reading this – at best on Thursday, but probably on Friday.
This week we watched the beautiful and majestic pomp and circumstance that is the presidential inauguration. No matter who the incoming president is, the ceremony surrounding inauguration day is one to behold. It touches us both patriotically and spiritually.
Let the story of Michael Carter provide a valuable lesson to all young athletes out there who aspire to one day be the best they can be in their respective sports.
Carter is a former Navarre Raider running back, the best in school history to be exact, and he just finished up his fourth year in the NFL.
